


Greenlands

by cherrynana



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Enchanted Forest, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Denial of Feelings, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Magic-Users, Nature Magic, Slow Burn, Tribes & Villages, basically a lot of forest magic-related things, maybe i overdid the angst part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 14:51:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6859456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrynana/pseuds/cherrynana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kenma hated having to talk to people. It was hard for him, and even if he was a physician and had to speak to the villagers, he only did it when it was necessary. But then this stranger appeared in his life, talkative and friendly, as if he had known Kenma for his whole life.</p><p>And Kenma found out he didn't mind at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Greenlands

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shions_heart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shions_heart/gifts).



> so this is dedicated to the wonderful shions_heart, because she's an amazing person and deserves a lot of gifts for her birthday \\(^o^)/ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SY!!!!!!!! I hope you like it /)u(\
> 
> just saying, but this was a lot of firsts for me. my first oneshot (which was very hard for me to write because i'm used to having a lot of chapters to develop my ideas), my first time writing smut (it's not even smut, it's terrible, i'm sorry), my first time writing Haikyuu and my first kuroken fic. but Sy's birthday gave me courage to do it :3
> 
> also english is not my first language and i lost my beta, so i'm really sorry for any errors you will find.

Kenma had no problems working as a physician for his village. Actually he liked the job a lot; since he was just an assistant to the tribe's healer he didn't need to talk to anyone, or do much physical effort, having only to make potions and medicine for the ill and injured. His master was kind and patient, even if he sometimes scolded Kenma for being lazy, but he was a calm man overall. However, Kenma did have a problem with having to go to the woods.

The problem wasn't the forest itself. Kenma was born there, just like everyone from the village, and was used to wandering among the trees, catching butterflies and flowers since he was a child. But as he grew up, he got progressively lazier; he admitted it, so when his master asked him to go to the forest to pick the ingredients he needed for medicine, Kenma had to try his best not to complain in front of him.

Now that he wasn't inside the healing house anymore, however, he let a scowl grow over his face, and hunched over the woven basked used to pick flowers. The basked was empty and clean, fortunately. Kenma picked it and sighed as he headed towards the village's entrance.

He greeted people as he passed by them. He didn't like talking to them, but his social skills had improved a lot since he started working as a physician. Interacting, like real talk, was still hard for him, but simple greetings were something he could do. And it always made people happy, and smile at him… Even though it left him embarrassed, he liked that kind of attention.

After greeting the villagers his mood was a little better, as he left the village and entered the woods. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and feeling the pure air. His tribe had cut relations with the civilization, preferring the company of the creatures of the forest and the nature gods. Many other tribes still made contact with each other, and some of them used advanced technology, but his tribe believed it made them closer to the humans from planet Earth. They still had the memory of what they had done to their green planet, until a group decided to leave to the distant planet of Viride.

Using technology could bring them to make the same mistakes their ancestors did, so the Greenland tribe made sure to be far from it. Kenma liked it, living in the woods with all the beautiful creatures, it felt so peaceful. He only travelled to a more technological community once, with his master, when they were studying new forms of medicine, and as good as their remedies were Kenma felt oppressed in the middle of so many people, and the noise of the machines gave him headaches.

Kenma opened his eyes and walked into the forest. The air was green, as was the light and the water from the lakes and rivers. Almost everything there was greenish, with the exception of animals and flowers, hence the name Greenland. Kenma spotted a deer, which quickly ran as soon as it saw him. Birds were singing above him from the trees, so tall he couldn't see the highest branches. As he walked more, looking for the ingredients his master asked him, he passed by a group of fairies. They were tiny, barely the size of a sparrow, and green, with wings of various shapes. They shied away from him as he approached them.

He usually tried not to bother the forest creatures, but the fairies were flying right over a bush with some flowers Kenma needed. He kneeled slowly, not wanting to scare the tiny creatures, and picked small purple flowers they called Gratitude. They were mostly ingredients for making the everdusk tea, a medicine used to reduce bleedings, and important for the mothers that just gave birth. Kenma knew there was one, Kyouka, so the Gratitudes were probably for her. She was a nice young woman, and Kenma heard from his master that her newborn son was really adorable.

Kenma was smiling as he finished picking the flowers, but froze when he felt something behind him. A presence, strong and dominating. He tensed up, and the fairies ran away squealing lightly.

It was not as he was unprepared. No, he was trained on self-defense, as the forest had its dangers, even though he never wandered far enough to find them. The aggressive creatures avoided the villages, thus making the area around them mostly safe, but Kenma had encountered some angry monsters while he looked for ingredients, and escaped unharmed. His master even led him to the farther parts of the forest so he could know what kind of creatures lived there and recognize their life signatures, so he could feel their presence from a safe distance if he ever approached them. In fact, he knew a lot of creatures from the Greenlands.

But that presence behind him was new, and it was scary. He couldn't hear any movement, but their life signature was as strong as a troll's, maybe even stronger. Kenma could only imagine it was some giant monster. His hand went to the gray sack tied to his waist, where some magical stones were. If he was fast enough he could make an invisibility spell and run away, but if it was a powerful creature it could see through the spell. And whatever was behind him was definitely strong.

He tried to breathe slowly, still kneeling immobile in front of the bush. The creature didn't move too, and Kenma was starting to get anxious. If it was an animal-like creature it would have moved, made some noise or attacked him. It was too still. Which meant it was an intelligent creature, and that was a problem.

There were no intelligent creatures in the Greenland.

It was an enemy. He needed to get to the village.

Kenma used his magic to create a bow and arrow with a swift movement, turning around to face his opponent and getting ready to shoot. He wasn't the best fighter, but if he could catch him by surprise he could have a chance to escape…

"Hey, hey, hey, calm down!" the enemy yelled, surprised, lifting their hands in a surrendering gesture. "No need to kill me, I'm friendly!"

It was a man, tall, strong, with a mess of a black hair and slightly tanned skin. He wore leather clothes, and Kenma quickly spotted the sack with arrows and the bow in his back. By his waist there were two long knives and some rope. He wasn't harmless.

"Who are you?" Kenma demanded, managing to keep his voice firm. It was something his master taught him: if he ever found an enemy or someone that wanted to hurt him, the first thing was to hide his fear and act like he could easily win a fight. Well, Kenma was sure he couldn't win against that man, as his bare and strong arms told him. And by the weapons he had, he was a hunter.

"Uhm, Tetsurou? You can call me Tetsu if you want," the man answered, grinning as if the situation was totally normal for a conversation.

" _Who are you_ ," Kenma asked again, now with more emphasis on his tone. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, that. I'm a hunter from my village… I guess I'm lost? I wasn't expecting to find other people, I was just hunting."

"You invaded my village's territory," Kenma said. He wasn't sure if that guy was being honest or if he was dangerous… But he did seem to be a hunter. And there were other villages near the Greenland. That sack he carried looked like a sack to stock meat.

"I just noticed that. Look, I'm not an enemy, and I don't want war. I'm honestly lost. I must have wandered off the board when I was chasing a deer," he looked around, his hands still in the air. "Did you see it, by the way? It was a great deer."

Kenma remembered the big deer he found right after he left his village. The man could be bluffing, but he looked more harmless the more Kenma stared at him.

Then he looked into his eyes, and they were yellow. They had a strange gloom, and it made Kenma uneasy. He usually didn't like being stared at, and the man's gaze was strangely penetrating. He then remembered the powerful life signature he felt, and tightened his hold in his bow.

"Leave," he said. "Before I shoot you."

The man (Tetsurou, was it?) slightly pouted, upset, and frowned. "Can I at least find my deer? Please," he added when Kenma frowned. "It will sound like a made-up story, but my village is suffering with food recently. We think a nearby village that uses technology found a way to hunt faster, and they're stealing out food. That's why I ended up here," he gestured around as much as he could without moving his hands from the air. "I decided to hunt farther from my village, nearer to the border. Please," he said again, and something in his voice sounded sincere. Or maybe it was his eyes. They were staring intently at Kenma, and he couldn't breathe for a moment.

Maybe Kenma was a fool for believing him. Or maybe he gave in because he was good-looking (not that he would admit it to himself. He was a completely stranger). But he ended up lowering his bow, though he didn't dismiss it.

"You can find the deer," he said. "But only the deer. And I'm going to follow you, to make sure you aren't lying. Don't underestimate me because of my size," he added, just to make sure.

"I wouldn't," Tetsurou said, but grinned again, lowering his hand. "Thank you very much!"

Kenma rolled his eyes. "Come this way. I actually saw your deer."

The man looked very pleased, and followed Kenma through the woods. His posture didn't make Kenma nervous, and kept his distance from Kenma. He was well-behaved, Kenma thought, even though he kept stealing glances at the physician.

"So, you know my name," he said, and Kenma sighed internally. "May I know yours?"

Kenma looked at him, thinking if it was a good idea. But he came to the conclusion names wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Kenma."

"Suits you," Tetsurou answered right away, and Kenma blushed, turning his face so he couldn't see it. Oh, how he hated interacting with people. It was much easier when they were enemies.

They walked for some time until Kenma felt the deer's life signature. He closed his eyes, feeling the forest around him, breathing deeply. He could feel the animal not far away from them, to the east…

He heard a branch crack next to him, and his eyes snapped open as he aimed the bow to Tetsurou, who jumped back, startled. Idiot, how could he close his eyes while next to a stranger? It would have been so easy to stab him with one of those bone knives…

Tetsurou widened his eyes, looking at the arrow aimed at him. "You know, if I wanted to kill you I could have done it a long time ago. Like when you were picking those flowers. Or yeah, right now when you closed your eyes."

He daringly took a step towards Kenma, and his heart started beating faster. He tightened his hold on the bow, trying to maintain his posture.

"Step back or I'll shoot," he warned him, but he could hear the tremble in his voice.

"Hum, I think you won't," Tetsurou said, giving one more step. Kenma stepped back, and he knew that destroyed all his chances of looking strong. But those eyes, those yellow penetrating eyes, were making him nervous and uncertain. There was power behind them, strength and something more. Kenma had no idea of how were the tribes outside the Greenlands to the east, he had no idea of what kind of magic they used or if they were even human yet…

He felt his back hit a tree, and realized he couldn't move away more. Tetsurou, though, only got closer until he held the tip of the arrow with his right hand.

"I noticed you're not a fighter. You were picking flowers, which means you're a physician. I bet you wouldn't kill a person."

He pushed the arrow down, and Kenma let go of it. The bow and the arrow dismissed into magic blue dust. He knew his eyes were wide, and he was scared. Afraid. But not afraid of the man.

He was afraid of the creature he could see inside him.

Tetsurou softened his expression, smiling softly. "I'm not gonna hurt you, seriously. I just want my deer."

Kenma finally found strength to breathe, letting out a shaky exhale, and pointing to where he could feel the deer was. Tetsurou followed his arm, frowning at the direction he pointed to, as if trying to find the animal. While he was looking away Kenma took the chance to run away, as fast as his legs could. He jumped over trunks and roots, he knew that forest like the palm of his hand, and he could feel where his village was. He didn't look back to see if Tetsurou was following him, but he didn't feel his presence.

He arrived at the village shaky and tired, and felt like crying. But there were too many people around, looking at him with worry, and he felt overwhelmed. Ducking his head to hide his face behind his bangs, he walked through the worried villages to his house, entering and locking the door behind him.

"Hello, Kenma," his mother greeted him, sitting on the couch and knitting what was probably a scarf. The winter was coming, after all. "How was your day?"

He wished he could answer her, but he was afraid his voice would give his fear in. So he just headed towards his room, hearing her call him from the living room, but he closed the door and fell on the bed. The knot on his chest untied, and he let out the tears from his eyes.

Whatever happened in the forest, it was strange and scared him. He never felt a presence like that before. He was very sensitive to people's life signatures, and that was why he didn't like interacting with them, for the most part. It was overwhelming and left him frightened; it was hard enough having to work with his master. He was nice, but his life signature was probably the strongest in the village. Kenma thought he wasn't able to work with him in the first months, but then he got used to it.

The man, Tetsurou, was different. Not only he was stronger, his life signature was different. Like it was another type of magic, something that Kenma had never felt before. He couldn't say if it was bad or good, or if he was dangerous at all, but it panicked him, especially when he got so close. And he could see right through Kenma, like he was the most expressive person in the world. People, including his parents, told him it was impossible to read him. So how a man he never met before did it?

And those eyes. If Kenma had to describe them he knew he couldn't. All he could say was that they weren't human.

Finally Kenma felt too tired, and started drifting off to sleep. He didn't even bothered changing his clothes, or eating. He thought he heard his mother open the door and ask him something, but he was almost asleep at that time. He closed his eyes, and slept.

That night, he dreamt about yellow, predating eyes, and a shadow that was wrapped around him. But surprisingly, it didn't feel bad, it was actually kinda comforting.

No, it wasn't bad at all.

 

 

When Kenma woke up he already felt the scolding coming. First from his parents that were worried about him, and upset that he didn't talk to them the day before. Then, while he was dressing up for work, he realized he left the basket with the ingredients at the forest, in his hurry to run away. Even if he hadn't forgotten it, he only picked the Gratitudes, so he was still missing all the other ingredients. His master was surely going to be mad at him, especially because he didn't come back to the healing house.

He was already preparing himself mentally for all the scolding he was going to receive when someone knocked at the door. He didn't mind, it was probably something for his parents, but his mother surprisingly came to him.

With the basked in her hands.

"Kenma, Alisa Haiba left it for you," she said, handing it to him. He took the basket, confused. "She said someone left it at the entrance of the village. There's a note too,"

He looked inside the basked at saw a small piece of leather, with something written on it. His stomach churned when he read.

_For Kenma. Thank you for the deer._

As he headed to the healing house, he didn't even care about the scolding anymore, as he remembered Tetsurou's eyes. He dreamt about them, and he liked. The idea made him anxious.

"Kenma!" he heard his master yell as soon as he entered the healing house. The short old man appeared, very angry. "Where were you?"

"I'm sorry, master Yasufumi," he apologized, bowing. "I had some… Trouble. At the forest."

"Then why didn't you come back here and told me?" he said, exasperated. "You simply disappeared! I got worried about you; I thought maybe you were attacked by a monster."

Kenma gulped, but kept his hands from trembling. He then handed the basket to his master, hiding behind his black bangs. Yasufumi took the basked and sighed after seeing the contents. "It will have to do, I guess. I can do some everdusk tea for Kyouka, but it's the end of my ingredients. You'll have to go to the forest again to pick what I asked you yesterday."

Kenma's stomach churned nervously, and he looked at his master pleadingly. "Master…"

"Are you afraid of what happened yesterday?" he asked right on the spot. Then he frowned. "Tell me what happened."

But Kenma couldn't. Tetsurou didn't come to the village, apparently, and only left him the basket he forgot. And honestly, Kenma was ashamed to tell his master he couldn't use his training, letting his guard down in front of a completely stranger that was most probably dangerous, and then ran away without warning anyone.

He felt weak, like a coward. He could handle some scolding, but to see disappointment in his master's eyes…

He stood there in silence until Yasufumi sighed in defeat. "Okay, don't tell me. I'll send another person…"

"No," Kenma interrupted. "I will go. I'm sorry, but this time I promise to come back with all you need."

Yasufumi looked warily at him, narrowing his eyes and probably thinking if Kenma was really well to go there again. But Kenma was resigned to show he wasn't weak. It was a way to prove to himself that he could honor his training.

He hated being seen as weak.

"Fine, then. Go. But if it happens again I'm not letting you leave anymore, not until you tell me what happened."

"Thank you, master," Kenma bowed. He took the basked and left the healing house, hearing Yasufumi mutter things under his breath as he tried making the everdusk tea with what he had at the moment. It made Kenma feel guilty; he knew Kyouka needed that medicine or she could not recover from the birth. Kenma tightened his hold on the basket. He wouldn't be responsible for anyone's pain. It was very irresponsible of him.

However, as he entered the forest again, he felt that dread in the pit of his stomach again. The forest was the same as always: quiet, peaceful and green. The birds were still singing, the fairies were flying and playing around, and the animals ran through the floor covered in leaves. The same as always.

Kenma walked through the trees, looking for the ingredients he needed. He spotted another bush of Gratitudes, and picked them. His master would need them later. He then saw a tree of golden apples, used as analgesics, and picked some too. Four was enough, as one apple could make ten doses of painkiller.

He was feeling calm again, and almost forgot about Tetsurou or anything, until he felt his presence again.

If it was another situation he would have laughed, but now his heart raced and he summoned his bow and arrow again. This time he wouldn't be weak.

"Hey, Kenma," he heard him call his name. "Uh, please don't shoot me. It's Tetsurou. But you probably know that. You have some cool energy feeling power there."

Kenma fought the urge to roll his eyes. Suddenly Tetsurou didn't seem so scary anymore. He was kinda… Childish?

"What are you doing here again?" Kenma yelled back.

"Yes, you answered!" Tetsurou said, appearing from behind a large tree, grinning. "I'm here to apologize for yesterday. I got really guilty when you ran away, you know."

"I told you to step back and you cornered me," Kenma frowned.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was honestly trying to make you see I didn't want to kill you. I guess it didn't work."

They stood there, facing each other, but Kenma adverted his eyes quickly.

"You shouldn't be here," he said. "It's my territory. I _could_ shoot you."

"Buuuut you won't," Tetsurou said happily. "C'mon, I know you're not violent. And that's fine! Really. I bet you know I'm not dangerous."

Kenma could argue about that, but Tetsurou was looking at him expectantly. Finally he sighed, dismissing his bow and arrow, and resting his hand on his hip.

"Yay, you're not going to shoot me."

"What do you want," now Kenma did roll his eyes.

"Hum, so sharp," Tetsurou pouted. "I'm here to return the favor."

Kenma raised his eyebrows. "I mean the deer. It really helped my family and all. You have no idea of how much I needed that."

"You already brought me my basket," Kenma said. "Uh, thank you."

"Nah, it was a compensation for scaring you. The deer needs real compensation, though," he smirked, and Kenma was beginning to think of it as his signature smirk. "I see you're here looking for plants. Ingredients, probably. Well, I can help you with it."

"I don't need your help," it turned out harsher than he intended, by Tetsurou didn't seem offended.

"C'mon, I bet you lost a lot of time because of yesterday. If we do it together isn't it going to be faster?"

He got a point there. Yasufumi probably had many things he needed Kenma to do, and if he could get the ingredients faster it would help a lot. He looked at Tetsurou, all happy, his yellow eyes shining expectantly, and decided to trust him.

Again. How many times would he fall for him?

"Fine," he said, and Tetsurou grinned wider. "Do you know anything about plants, though? I thought you were a hunter."

"I do. I'm not a simple hunter, I'm a forest hunter. It means I know everything about it," he said, approaching Kenma, but stopped suddenly, his grin falling a bit. "Erm, can I approach you?"

Kenma blushed, hiding behind his bangs, and murmured a quiet "yes". Still, Tetsurou was careful around him, not getting too close.

They walked through the forest in silence, but Kenma didn't find it awkward. Most people felt a need to talk while they were with him, probably because he wasn't very talkative, and he was sure Tetsurou was one of those people. But he walked by his side silently, but seeming satisfied. He was still with his bow and arrows and his knives. They were very beautiful, the handle made of bone with symbols carved in it, and the blade made of a large tooth. Kenma noticed Tetsurou caught him starting, and hid his face, blushing. He heard Tetsurou laugh.

"Do you like my knives?" he asked, taking one of them and spinning it. Then he handed it to Kenma. "You can look."

Kenma looked up at him, stopping his walk and taking it. It was as beautiful as he thought, and he ran his fingers through the carvings in the handle. It was smooth, well polished, and for some reason Kenma knew Tetsurou made them himself. He seemed the type of guy to do everything by himself.

"It's really beautiful," he gave the knife back, looking up at Tetsurou, and saw the hunter looking intently at him. There was something in his expression… Something soft, and kind. It made Kenma blush furiously, and he resumed his walking before Tetsurou could say anything.

He caught up to Kenma quickly. "Uh, it would help a lot if you told me what we're looking for."

Oh, right. "Danish Bloodtears, Nymph Melodies, Green Hard-leaves, Wild Strawberries, Green Apples, Water of Paradise, Fairy Hearts and Stardust," he said, and Tetsurou nodded for each one. "Do you know all of them?"

"Yup, I told you I know everything about the forest," he said, proudly.

Kenma rolled his eyes, but his lips curled into a tiny smile. Of course he didn't let Tetsurou see it.

He expected his search to be boring an annoying, but Tetsurou was really good at finding plants. While Kenma could feel life signatures from animals and such, he couldn't do the same with plants, so he relied on his eyesight to find them. Apparently, Tetsurou's was better than his, and they soon found all Kenma needed. And he had to be honest, it was fun. Tetsurou tripped over a root once, almost falling on his face, and Kenma couldn't stop himself from laughing. The other faked indignation, but also laughed. And looked at Kenma with that weird expression again, making him stop laughing and hide his blushing face again.

By the end of the evening they were back to the point where they met for the first and second times. There was that big tree, with a dark trunk, and the Gratitude bush under it. Not far was a small fall, with a river running south, parallel to Kenma's village. There were a lot of fairies in that region, he noticed. It was a beautiful place.

He turned to Tetsurou, intending on bid farewell, but found him with that pleased expression. Again.

"Today was fun," he said, quietly, without looking at Kenma.

"Yeah," Kenma agreed. "You're not as annoying as I expected."

Tetsurou chucked at that, and finally looked at him. "Do you mind if I make a proposal?"

"Uh… No?" Kenma was anxious again. Great.

"As I told you, my village has been having trouble with finding food. It's not a big village, and we can eat fruits and vegetables, but we also need meat. That deer I brought yesterday helped a lot, we could feed everyone, can you believe it?" he smiled. "What I'm saying is: what if you let me hunt a bit here? Not much, don't worry; I won't bother your village or anything. Just one or two animals would be enough. There's a lot of wildlife here."

Kenma didn't know what to say. He didn't feel he had the power to make such decision; he was not the major or anyone important. Why was Tetsurou asking him that?

"If I let you," Kenma began, slowly. "What would you do?"

"I would help you with your plant hunting," he said, smirking. "I think I proved I'm good at it."

Kenma rolled his eyes. Tetsurou was making him do that a lot. "Yes, you're good."

The hunter chuckled "What do you think? You let me hunt some animals and I help you gather more ingredients that you could by yourself. You'll help more people, faster."

Oh, that was a good proposal. Kenma did find everything he needed, and even found more. Tetsurou really understood about medicines and potions, and he soon realized what his master needed those ingredients for and suggested other he might need to. If he did that everyday, Yasufumi could give Kenma more errands, and they could help more people.

More people would be happy. And Tetsurou's village would have food.

"Okay," he said, not looking at Tetsurou, but he could feel his grin.

"Yes!" he celebrated. "Thank you, Kenma. This means a lot to me."

Kenma blushed, hiding his face and lifting his shoulders to his ears. Tetsurou wasn't a bad person at all. He liked spending time with him, he realized. The thought made him blush more, and he hoped Tetsurou didn't notice.

As he went back to the healing house, his master couldn't be happier. He was all proud of Kenma for picking so many ingredients, and for picking even what Yasufumi didn't tell him to. He said they could make a lot of medicine now, and help a lot of people. Kenma felt guilty for taking the credits from Tetsurou, but the happiness in his master's eyes was worth it.

That night he dreamt about yellow eyes again, and he thought this time he could see it belonged to something. A dark shape started to emerge, before darkness embraced him again and he gave in to that comfortable feeling.

 

 

The days went by without Kenma noticing. He helped his master at the healing house, making tonics and potions, and then went to the forest to pick more ingredients. Everytime he went there, Tetsurou was waiting for him, flashing his signature smirk and then running towards Kenma like he was the most exciting thing in the world. And as they passed time together, Kenma started to realize maybe he was.

It wasn't as if he hadn't suspected before, but he refused to accept it. The way Tetsurou's gaze lingered on him, the way he lit up everytime they saw each other, his dreamy expression when they walked together. For some reason, Tetsurou was weird enough to have some kind of crush on him without knowing him at all. It was weird for Kenma, and he still had his doubts. He wasn't delusional to the point of thinking Tetsurou wanted something with him… But maybe he found him interesting? Maybe, for some reason, Kenma had something that catched his eye?

He decided not to dwell on it. It was probably a crush, and just a crush. Kenma was from another village, and they passed a lot of time together. And it wasn't as if Kenma wanted something with him. He absolutely didn't look too much at Tetsurou's biceps, and didn't blush everytime he praised him for something. He did not think about Tetsurou when he went to bed, and oh, he totally didn't want those yellow eyes he dreamt about to belong to Tetsurou.

They were acquaintances that hunted together. They helped each other because they had something the other needed. Kenma knew they couldn't be more than that, not even friends, since Tetsurou was from another tribe, from another region, and he was illegally hunting at his territory. It wasn't like Kenma could someday bring him home to meet his parents, or tell his master that Tetsurou loved chemistry and making potions, and he was the one who knew everything about plants… Just like he could never ask Tetsurou to take him to see his village.

Kenma thought a lot about it, about Tetsurou's tribe. He even dared asking him about it one day.

"Ah, we're not that interesting," he said, picking some leaves from a tree Kenma couldn't reach, for his dismay. "It's a very small village, as I said. One deer is enough to feed everyone," he grinned. "We like it, however. Leaving in the middle of the forest in peace, without all the technology bothering us… We feel connected to the nature. It's really good."

"I wish I could see it," Kenma let out without thinking.

But it apparently made Tetsurou's day, because his eyes lit up and his grin widened.

"One day, I'm going to take you there, to meet my family. If you let me."

Kenma didn't answer.

It was all good for some time. Even as Kenma felt uncertain about his relationship with a member from another tribe, all he had to do was to visit the Black Panther's shrine to feel better.

The Black Panther. A forest god the Greenland tribe worshipped, he was a protector of Viride. Unlike the gods earthly humans worshipped, the gods from Viride were real magic creatures that lived in the planet. They were powerful and protected the nature, and they even appeared to people, especially during the festivals. It wasn't uncommon for Kenma to see gods, even thought it was always an exciting event. They were so kind and so good, it was impossible not to feel good near them. They worshipped many gods, but the Greenland protector was the Black Panther.

Kenma always felt connected to him. They said he was the kindest creature in Viride, that he loved every single creature and cared about all of them. Kenma had never seen him, as it's been a long time since he appeared for the Greenland. Their priest, the only one who could talk to the gods, told them that the Black Panther was fighting against technology to keep their planet safe and keep the peace, but was struggling against the Demons. The battle was mostly on the divine realm, and humans such as Kenma never saw it, but he could only imagine what it was like. And he felt grateful for the god for fighting so much for them.

In fact, people called Kenma the biggest devotee of the Black Panther, which made him blush. But it was true that he always went to the shrine to thank the god and pray for him.

He never saw him, but he always felt comforted after doing that. It was enough.

So after spending so much time with Tetsurou Kenma thought he couldn't get happier (yes, he was happy, but he wouldn't tell Tetsurou that), but he realized he was wrong when the priest made an announcement to the village.

"As you know, the Black Panther festival is coming," said the priest, Manabu. "Everybody is excited, as he's our dear protector. He's also excited for it," he smiled. "He's always grateful for our affection. But this year, I have the brightest news for you."

He sounded really excited, and Kenma wondered what happened. He was suddenly excited too, wondering what kind of good news it could be.

"Our Great god Black Panther announced he will appear for us during the festival, after being away for fifty years!"

The village turned into cheers and happy noise. Kenma himself couldn't say still, feeling the urge to jump or just do something. Was it possible that he was finally going to meet him? He felt warm inside.

"But it's not the end!" Manabu continued, and the crowd tried to be silent again. "He said that because of our undying loyalty and love for him, which have given him strength to keep fighting for us, he's going to choose a consort out of this village!"

Kenma was shocked. Becoming a consort was a great honor to the person and their tribe. A consort was a human turned immortal, that would not only aid the god but also marry him, in nature's way. The tribe would also be blessed, as the aid would always want to help it. Kenma felt happy for whoever was going to be chosen.

Of course he had to tell Tetsurou about it. He ran to the forest, and wasn't surprised to find him there, seeming thoughtful. Kenma jumped excitedly, startling the hunter, who grinned at him.

"Hey, someone's excited. It's weird seeing you like this, what happened?"

"You know the Black Panther?" he asked.

Tetsurou nodded. "He's a guardian god, isn't he?"

"Yes. My village worships him," he was smiling now. "He said he's going to appear to us at this year's festival!"

Tetsurou widened his eyes, and grinned widely. "That's really awesome, Kenma. He's not my village's god, but I guess I would feel the same for mine. Isn't the Black Panther kinda disappeared for fifty years, though?"

"He is, and that's why we're so excited!" he said, and Tetsurou seemed to finally understand.

"Wow, then that's totally awesome! Congratulations, Kenma."

There it was, the fondness in his face again. But Kenma didn't bother this time. He was too happy, and nothing would take it from him.

"Tetsurou, today let's do something different?" he dared to ask. It wasn't like him to do it, and he felt himself blush, but the hype kept him going.

"Like what?" Tetsurou asked, seeming amused.

"I don't know. I don't want to pick plants today," he looked at his hands, thinking.

Then he heard Tetsurou clap his hands. "I know something," he said. "You'll love it."

And then he took Kenma's hand. He. Took. Kenma's. Hand. Kenma could feel himself combust instantly, and he wondered how Tetsurou didn't burn his hand yet. His face was as red as a Danish Bloodtear, but Tetsurou didn't look back, leading him into the forest.

His hand was warm. And calloused, probably from all the handiwork he did. His hand was also big compared to Kenma's, almost hiding it completely. It was the first time they touched, and Kenma liked it.

Probably more than he should.

Then he noticed Tetsurou was leading him father from the village, heading towards the more dangerous area of the Greenlands. "Uh, where are we going?" Kenma asked.

"You'll see," Tetsurou sounded excited. "Just wait a minute, I think we're close."

"This area is dangerous. There are a lot of monsters here."

"Don't worry, kitten, I'll protect you," he said, smirking.

Wait, kitten?

"W-What did you just call me?" Kenma stuttered.

"A-ha!" Tetsurou totally ignored him. "Here."

They were in front of a Weeping Willow wall, something Kenma had never seen before. That forest was mostly composed of pine trees and sequoias, and some short trees that bear fruits. He had never seen willows there, only outside the Greenland. He stared at it, confused, and Tetsurou squeezed his hand.

"Just listen," he whispered, and Kenma closed his eyes. The forest there was quieter there, and there were almost no birds singing. It was getting dark, so Kenma heard some crickets singing. But also… Was that water? Yes, definitely water. And some splashes too. He opened his eyes and looked up at Tetsurou, and saw him smiling.

"What is it?" Kenma asked, curious.

Tetsurou didn't answer, instead dragging Kenma under the willows. He would feel completely lost there if it wasn't for Tetsurou's hand, guiding him, and he felt safe. He gave a light squeeze, and his heart raced when Tetsurou squeezed back.

Finally they left the confusion of the willows, and Kenma couldn't close his mouth after what he saw. There was a waterfall, this one much taller than the one near his village, that fell into a lake. Rocks gathered around it, making it a perfect spot for sitting and admiring the view. The lake's water was clear, and Kenma could see some fish swimming happily. The lake turned into a river then, running west. The splashes he heard came from some water nymphs playing at the lake. They were humanoid like, but had membranes in their hands and feet, resembling a frog's feet. They were also blue, and had fish-like features in their heads, like an imitation of hair. Their bright wide blue eyes looked at him and Tetsurou as they appeared, and they giggled and hid behind a rock.

"What do you think?" Tetsurou asked. Kenma looked at him, still astonished, and had another pleasurable surprise. The water reflected on Tetsurou's face, making him glow. His yellow eyes seemed to shine at the dark, and suddenly Kenma was very aware of how attractive he was.

"Beautiful," he said, almost a whisper. Tetsurou chuckled, and led him towards the lake. "How did you find it?"

"Hum, let's say getting lost has its advantages," he winked, and Kenma knew a piece of his heart just exploded. "I found it while trying to get back home the day we meet."

Kenma grimaced. "Isn't your village on the other side?"

"Hey, I'm bad at directions. But it was worth it, wasn't it?"

Kenma looked around, taking in all the beauty of the place. The nymphs were getting used to their presence, and were coming from behind the rock, looking curiously at them.

"Yeah," he smiled, and he heard Tetsurou suck a breath at his side. He frowned at him. "What was that?"

Tetsurou laughed weakly, and looked away. "Nothing. Just…" he glanced back at Kenma, his yellow eyes very serious. "You look beautiful when you smile."

It was probably the cheesiest thing Kenma ever heard someone say, but he didn't care at that moment. All he did was blush, but he didn't look away this time. Wait, was Tetsurou blushing?

Kenma grinned, deciding to push him a bit. "Only when I'm smiling?"

Tetsurou widened his eyes. "No!" he said, quickly. "I mean… You always look good. You're good-looking. But you look even more good-looking when you're smiling. Not that you're not, like, very good-looking and all, but…" he noticed Kenma was holding his laughter, and he relaxed. "You're playing with my feelings, you know."

Kenma finally let a laugh out, covering his mouth with his free hand. Tetsurou sighed, but he was also smiling, and soon the nymphs started giggling all happily. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist."

They looked at each other, and Kenma suddenly felt awkward. He wasn't sure of what that moment meant, and it made him anxious. He untangled his hand from Tetsurou's, looking away and blushing.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked, tried to change the topic.

"Ah," Tetsurou approached a large rock near the lake. And then, to Kenma's desperation, started taking off his coat.

He stood there, mouth slightly agape, and face burning, while Tetsurou undressed. Undressed. What. Why was he undressing? The hunter than looked at him, seeming confused. "Aren't you coming?"

"W-What?" Kenma widened his eyes.

"This is a lake, let's swim!" Tetsurou looked perfectly calm and collected as he took of his shirt, exposing his muscular chest and stomach. Kenma really tried not to look, but it was getting harder when Tetsurou started untying his pants.

Kenma took one, two, three deep breathes. It was obvious what was happening there. He could either play along, or run away, just like when they met. Except that Kenma promised he wouldn't act weakly again. He promised he would face his challenges, and honor his training.

Didn't his master tell him? _The first thing to do is not show weakness. Don't let the enemy know you're afraid. Face them like you're capable of winning._

So Kenma did. He took off his coat and his shirt. The cool air of the dusk gave him chills, and he felt the urge to cover himself when Tetsurou openly looked at him, but didn't he do the same a few moments before?

Soon they were both naked, and Kenma ignored the burn in his face, walking towards Tetsurou like he was completely relaxed. The hunter seemed surprised by the change in his behavior, but only smirked as Kenma stopped in front of him.

"I'll go first," Kenma said, forcing himself to sound sure of what he was doing. He walked towards the lake, stepping cautiously on the wet rocks. The nymphs looked at him expectantly, and he touched the water with the tip of his toe. It was warmer than he expected, and he tried putting his feet inside.

He looked back at Tetsurou. "It's not cold," he said, before walking further into the water.

When it was reaching his waist he heard water noises behind him, and knew Tetsurou decided to go in too. Kenma swam towards the nymphs, who giggled and jumped on the rocks. Tetsurou soon catched up to him, swimming easily, as if he did that on a regular basis.

"It's really not cold," he agreed, laying his arm on a rock.

Kenma smiled faintly. Tetsurou was handsome, indeed. He had a nice body, and a handsome face, but in that moment Kenma didn't see any of those things.

Being with Tetsurou felt the same as being at the Black Panther's shrine. He felt warm, happy, and comforted. There wasn't that anxiety now in his chest. Of course he felt nervous near Tetsurou, but it wasn't the same. It felt good. It felt natural and calming, and Kenma felt that he could be himself. He thought of all the time they spent together, and realized he was just being himself, unlike when he was at the village, and had to deal with all that people. He liked them, and liked making them happy, but it was hard for him to socialize. But not with Tetsurou.

They swam for hours, playing with the nymphs, trying to catch fishes with their bare hands. It got dark, but the bright moon was full and shone upon them, lightening the lake and making it glow. Just like Tetsurou's eyes. Kenma realized he was really attracted to them. And since he was making so many daring moves that night, why not one more?

"Tetsurou," he called, and the man didn't hesitate to look at him. They were sitting on a rock, watching the nymphs play, waiting to dry off so they could put their clothes back. "Can I see your eyes?"

Tetsurou grinned, as always. "But you're already seeing them, Kenma."

Kenma rolled his eyes, but smiled. "I mean really see them. Up close."

Tetsurou's smile, for Kenma's surprise, only widened, and he nodded. He got closer to Kenma, looking intently at him. Kenma unconsciously held his breath, and he too got closer, until their faces were a few inches apart. And he looked, into those bright yellow eyes, and he slowly exhaled. They were pure golden, but their shine was similar to the Moon's. The more Kenma watched, the more he drowned on them. They felt like happiness, affection, protection, fondness, but also courage and determination.

Kenma slowly lifted his hand, putting them gently on Tetsurou's face. He had high cheekbones, and was well-shaved. His skin felt soft, the opposite of his calloused hands, but not less warm. He had long eyelashes too. Kenma caressed his cheeks with his thumbs, and raised his hands to his disheveled hair. It was surprisingly smooth, and Kenma ran his hands through it until he reached nape, where the hair was shorter. Then he let his hands rest on his shoulders.

Tetsurou smiled softly, and Kenma noticed for the first time that he had sharp canines. "My turn?" he said, and it was a question.

Kenma nodded, and Tetsurou raised his hands to his face. Kenma could feel his breath on his face, and it smelled like the forest. He wanted to laugh at how cheesy it was, but he didn't want to disrupt that moment. Tetsurou was concentrated on caressing his cheeks, and Kenma blushed slightly. Tetsurou grinned. "They feel warmer now," he said, which only made Kenma blush more, but he smiled. Tetsurou carefully caressed his cheekbones, and then moved his hands to Kenma's hair. He took a strand from the front and put it behind his ear, grinning. "I always wanted to do this."

Kenma rolled his eyes, but let Tetsurou play with his hair until he too reached his neck. And then they looked at each other, faces so close. Tetsurou then touched their foreheads gently, closing his eyes, completely relaxed.

Kenma couldn't say what made him do that at that moment. Maybe he was tired of waiting, maybe it was a surge of emotion. Maybe he just wanted to. But he pressed their lips together, and Tetsurou widened his eyes, surprised. But Kenma closed his own eyes, and only got closer to him, pressing more of their mouths against each other, and Tetsurou slowly relaxed, kissing back. Kenma's face felt hot, but he supposed it was normal. He was kissing Tetsurou after all.

He was kissing Tetsurou.

He ran his hands through Tetsurou's neck up to his hair again, and pulled lightly, making Tetsurou hum. Then the hunter opened his mouth and licked at Kenma's lips, and he didn't hesitate to open his too. He let Tetsurou explore his mouth with his tongue, and Kenma felt really, really hot now. He pulled harder at Tetsurou's hair and scooted closer, trying to press their chests together. Tetsurou complied, letting his hand wander down Kenma's back and pull him closer.

Kenma was very aware of their lack of clothes, but he couldn't care less. He took the opportunity to run his left hand over Tetsurou's chest, feeling the muscles of his arms and going further, touching his stomach. Tetsurou hummed again and Kenma could feel him smile against his lips.

But he needed more. He needed more Tetsurou, more of his warm body against his. He threw his leg over Tetsurou's lap, straddling him. Now he could get closer, pressing their bodies together as the kiss grew more heated. Kenma moved his hips on reflex, and it shoot a spark of pleasure through his body. He gasped, and so did Tetsurou, seeming surprised. He pulled back from the kiss to look at Kenma, and opened his mouth as if to say something, but Kenma didn't let him, returning to the kiss and this time running his tongue inside Tetsurou's mouth. It felt hot and wet, and Tetsurou's tongue answered the kiss against his, and Kenma would have found that completely disgusting in another situation. But it was Tetsurou, pressed up against him, running his hands through his hides, and it felt anything but disgusting. It felt amazing.

Kenma decided to try and move his hips again, to test Tetsurou's reaction, and it pleasured him when he let out a surprised moan. Not that Kenma was better, letting a quiet moan of his own. He felt heat pool at his lower stomach, and something hard pressed against him. He pulled back, looking at Tetsurou, and noticed the other was blushing now.

"Uh," he grinned shyly, and Kenma would never believe if someone told him Tetsurou could ever be shy. But there they were. However, before Tetsurou could say something embarrassing, Kenma kissed him again and moved his hips, now thrusting with more vigor and faster. He felt amazing, sparks of pleasure running up his spine and making him moan. He tried hiding in, embarrassed, but it felt worth it when he felt Tetsurou moan against his mouth.

"Kenma," he whispered, his yellow eyes hazy. "Kenma."

Kenma felt his face burn for other reasons, and continued to kiss Tetsurou and move his hips. Tetsurou also started thrusting up, and Kenma couldn't stop a louder moan from coming out, breaking the kiss. Tetsurou took that as an opportunity to kiss his jaw, then his neck, then his shoulder, and up to his neck again. He didn't bite or try to leave any hickeys, which was very kind of him considering Kenma would have a hard time trying to explain them to his parents, or the village. So he let Tetsurou kiss him wherever he wanted, while he tried holding back his moans. They started moving faster then, and faster, until a wave of pleasure washed over Kenma and he let out an embarrassingly loud moan, spilling over their chests. Tetsurou followed right after, and they stood still for a moment, with Tetsurou holding him in his arms.

Kenma was breathing heavily yet, but he let his head rest on Tetsurou's shoulder. He felt good, not only because of what they did, but because he was there, with Tetsurou. His strong arms were wrapped around him, making him feel safe and comfortable. Just like he felt in his dreams with the creature of yellow eyes. Now he knew it was Tetsurou, and the thought made him smile.

"Kenma," Tetsurou whispered. Kenma just hummed in acknowledgement, too tired to do anything else. Tetsurou sighed. "I love you."

Kenma froze, his heart racing. Love. It was a strong word, with a lot of meaning. Did he love Tetsurou? That question ran through his head many and many times, and he suddenly felt dizzy. Love. Did he love? If he did, could he? What did it mean? How would he know?

In the end, he didn't answer. They washed themselves and dressed up, leaving the lake in silence. Kenma totally ignored how the nymphs let out a breathy sigh in unison, feeling his cheeks burn. He forgot about those little demons. And of course they stood there in silence, watching. Frankly, Kenma didn't know if he would ever have the courage to go back there.

As they arrived at their meeting point, they were still in silence. The crickets were singing happily, and the village was quiet, only some lights coming from inside the houses. It was late, and his parents were probably worried about him.

Kenma looked at Tetsurou, though, and he thought the other seemed… Uncertain? Nervous? Kenma felt bad for not saying anything.

"I liked today a lot," he said, smiling. "Thank you for showing me that place. It was really beautiful."

Tetsurou smiled, and it seemed genuine, so Kenma felt a little better. "I'm glad."

They stood in silence again, and this time it felt awkward. Kenma fidgeted nervously, and couldn't gather the courage to look at him. He apparently used all his bravery at the lake.

"I should go now. My parents are going to kill me," he said, and Tetsurou chuckled faintly.

"Yeah," he looked up at the sky. "See you later, Kenma."

Then he left, and Kenma watched him move away, hunched over with his hands on his pockets. Kenma stood there until his back disappeared into the darkness of the forest, and even later, until he couldn't feel his life signature.

He went home feeling weird. Tetsurou was weird, and it made Kenma uneasy. He patiently listened to his parents scolding him, and explained he was picking some things in the forest that could only be found at night, until they calmed down and made him promise he would never leave for so long without warning again. Then he rushed to his room, changing his clothes and hopping onto the bed, ready to sleep. This time, he would hug Tetsurou in his dream and never let go.

But when he dreamt, it wasn't Tetsurou.

He waited for the yellow eyes to appear, and for the dark from to take the shape of the hunter. But it instead took another form. Large, dark, with paws and a long tail. Fangs that could break Kenma in half, and claws that could rip him open. And the large, predatory yellow eyes, looking at him intently.

A Black Panther.

The next day, Kenma woke up confused. Maybe he was excited about their god appearing at the festival? He felt disappointed that it wasn't Tetsurou, but he wasn't going to complain about dreaming about the Black Panther. So he woke up, ate his breakfast, and headed towards the healing house, ready for another day with his master.

But then priest Manabu came running towards him, and he stopped, frowning. He hoped the priest wasn't about to ask him to do something special for the festival just because he was 'the most faithful Black Panther worshiper'.

"Kenma!" he called, stopping in front of him, all smiles. "I was looking for you. Good morning!"

"Good morning, priest Manabu," he greeted respectfully.

"You left so quickly to the forest yesterday, that I couldn't give you the news! I know you're going to get really happy," he said.

"The Black Panther chose you as his consort."

 

 

Kenma ran.

He ran until he was out of breath. Until his lungs hurt. Until he was out of the village. Until no one could see his tears. Until he could reach Tetsurou.

He arrived at their meeting point, quiet as always. It was actually particularly beautiful that day, with the sun light penetrating the leaves of the redwoods around, and fairies flying around peacefully. It was almost as if the forest was mocking him.

"Tetsurou!" he called, looking around. "Tetsurou, where are you?"

He searched for his life signature, but found nothing. He could feel Tetsurou kilometers away, but now all he felt was void. He wasn't there.

Now that he thought of it, he never called Tetsurou, or said when he would be picking ingredients at the forest. He just went there, and Tetsurou was there, for him, almost like he knew when Kenma went to the forest.

But when Kenma needed him the most, he wasn't there.

Kenma remembered the way he left the previous night, the way he seemed upset. Maybe he was embarrassed, or maybe he was facing a problem at his village, anything could have happened, Kenma told himself. However it did not soothe the pain in his chest, and he needed someone he could hold, hug, be comforted by.

He wanted to be weak just once.

He fell to his knees, tears falling from his eyes. He was certain he loved Tetsurou, with all his might. He loved him. He needed him. He only realized how much the other meant now that they weren't together. He wanted to marry Tetsurou, to be with him forever, he never wanted to feel alone again.

Why would the Black Panther be so cruel to him? Why him?

He loved the forest god, of course he did. But didn't everyone else? It was impossible not to love him, not when he did so much for them. Kenma felt safe at his shrine, comforted. He knew the Black Panther always cared about his people, but he never thought he would be different from any other person.

Was he ungrateful for thinking that he didn't want to be his consort?

But he loved Tetsurou. He couldn't deny, nor change that.

He couldn't marry the Black Panther.

But you didn't go and tell the priest that you refuse to be his consort. Things didn't happen that way.

Kenma suddenly felt angry, rising from the forest floor and storming into the village. He passed by a lot of villagers that congratulated him, but ignored all of them. He headed towards the shrine, crying again, but this time he didn't care. The priest was startled when he arrived at the shrine, and tried greeting him, but Kenma ignored him and faced the statue of the Black Panther.

"Why?" he yelled, and everyone nearby turned to watch him. "Why did you do this to me? Why me? You know how I feel about him, I know you know! You always do! It was you," he sobbed. "It was you in my dreams. You used his image to make me believe it was a good dream," he gritted his teeth. "I worshiped you. I felt grateful for you everytime you helped me. But I won't forgive you for ruining my life!"

"Kenma!" Manabu yelled, his eyes wide. "You can't talk to the Black Panther like that!"

"I can!" he yelled back, glaring at the priest. "He's not an omnipotent being or anything like that. He's a creature like us. He was supposed to protect us. To help us!"

"He chose you, and that's a great honor," the priest frowned. "Do you think he would do that if he didn't care about you?"

"If he cared about me he wouldn't have ruined my only chance to be happy!"

"Enough!"

Everyone turned to see Yasufumi approach the shrine, deadly serious. He walked towards Kenma. "I didn't train you to be like this. Where's your respect?"

"But he…"

"I'm not finished," he said sharply, and Kenma closed his mouth instantly. "The Black Panther helped you when you needed him the most. Have you thought about what he's gone through? And he thought you were the best to help him, to support him. If you think he did that to ruin your life, then you're more than ungrateful."

More tears threatened to spill from Kenma's eyes, but he held them back. "I don't know him. He's been gone for fifty years. And now that I found someone, someone that makes me happy, he takes it from me. It's not fair."

Yasufumi frowned. "I can't believe you're turning the Black Panther down for some random brat. I expected more from you, Kenma."

And Kenma saw what he feared the most: disappointment. His master was disappointed at him. He turned to leave, and Kenma watched his back disappear from view, just like he saw Tetsurou's. Once again, someone dear to him was leaving him.

He suddenly felt conscious of all the people staring at him. He put up a show, and now everyone knew about his affairs. That he had someone. That he rejected the Black Panther. He could hear them whispering about him, the judgment in their eyes… His face burned, and he wanted to crawl under his back and never get out.

Then he felt warmth on his shoulders, and looked up to see Manabu smiling softly at him. "Let's go, Kenma. Let's take you out of here."

And he let Manabu led him away. Away from the statue, away from the crowd. Away from his master. Away from Tetsurou.

He was weak. He gave up.

 

 

Tetsurou never came back.

Kenma tried many times. He went to the forest; he called, but got no response. The days went by, and turned into weeks. Into a month. And Tetsurou never came.

The festival arrived, and Kenma felt empty. They prepared him, made him new clothes. They even let him dye his hair blonde. He always wanted to try that, but now he didn't feel particularly happy or excited. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, now the blonde hair contrasting with his golden, but empty eyes.

His parents were so proud. The village forgot about the incident at the shrine, and now they only saw him with pride, as the Black Panther's consort, the aid that would support him, and the guardian of the Greenlands. Kenma always liked making people happy, and it was like his wish was being granted. He couldn't make them happier.

He was the only one who wasn't happy.

"You look so handsome," his mother told him, brushing his hair. "The blonde hair looks good on you."

He didn't answer. He saw the tears in her eyes; she was probably the most proud of all villagers. His father also stood in the room, chest puffed and proud. They were dressing him up for the ceremony, which everyone was excited about. Everyone but Kenma.

He was dressed up in some kind of white dress, which was very hard to make, he knew. White was a rare color to make naturally, at least in the Greenlands. He used golden sandals, and an old necklace that his mother made him. He only wanted that, to be honest. It was a simple rope, with a purple stone, but it meant a lot to him, as his mother gave it to him when he was scared of sleeping alone. She told him if he wore it and held the stone very tightly, nothing would hurt him.

They left for the village's center, where the villagers had already gathered, and where the village sanctuary was located. No one could enter, except for the priest and some special occasions. However, Kenma was the one to enter it that day, as the god would appear to him first, then Kenma would swear him loyalty and they would become soulmates. Then they would come out of the building, and the festival would begin.

He was told that a million times already.

The villagers cheered when he appeared, and he walked towards the priest. Yasufumi was by his side, waiting for Kenma too, but he smiled when he got closer.

"Priest, master," Kenma bowed.

"Kenma," his master said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I just want to say that, no matter what happens, I am proud of you. Don't tell anyone I said it, but you were the best apprentice I've ever had."

Kenma felt some warmth creep into his heart. He even managed to smile. It seemed forced, but he was happy that his master was disappointed at all.

Then he turned to Manabu, who was also smiling. "Kenma. Be calm. This is not end. I understand you're suffering now, but dwelling on it won't change things. I'm not saying you should try and love the Black Panther instead, but that you should try to see the good things. It helps," he sounded pained at the last part, and Kenma wondered if something happened to him.

He suddenly felt very selfish for acting the way he did. Everyone got hurt, he wasn't unique. But people tried to move on, tried to forget the past and look for the future.

They were strong.

He smiled, and this time it was sincere. "I promise I will try. Thank you," he looked at his master. "Both of you."

They bowed to each other, and as Kenma left to the sanctuary he could swear he spotted tears in his master's eyes. He passed by his parents in the crowd, and gave them hugs, promising he would try and be okay. His mother seemed relieved, and it made him feel a lot better.

He finally entered the sanctuary, opening the wooden doors. He could do that. Maybe it wasn't so bad.

The doors closed behind him, and he was alone.

The sanctuary was a simple room, made of stone, with a circle drawn in the middle. In the opposite wall was a door, which Kenma knew that led to the priest room, where he talked to the gods. The door opened, and Kenma held his breath, holding the purple stone in his necklace with all his strength.

And Tetsurou came out of the room.

Kenma didn't know if he should laugh, if he should cry, if he should scream… He opted for freezing, while Tetsurou talked towards him with that smug smile of his.

"Hey, kitten!" he greeted.

Kenma finally recovered from the shock, shaking his head.

"What are you doing here?" he almost yelled. "Are you crazy? You disappear for days, and then invade the sanctuary, right before a god is going to be summoned? They're going to kill you!"

He walked towards him, punching him in the chest, and Tetsurou let out a pained yelp, trying to defend himself from Kenma's punches the best he could.

"You're hurting me, Kenma," he whined.

"I better be!" he said, angry. Frankly, what was he thinking, sneaking in the middle of a ceremony? "Get out of here, before someone kills you."

"I really hope those villagers won't kill me," he said, lifting an eyebrow. "They waited fifty years to see me, after all."

That made Kenma stop. Tetsurou still had that smug look on his face, but Kenma stopped to actually _see_ him. He was wearing leather clothes, and a coat made of black fur. And something black, long and furry came from behind him.

A tail.

Kenma widened his eyes, jumping back, and Tetsurou laughed. "Are you afraid of me? I think we've been through this already. When we first met."

"You're the Black Panther," was all he could say.

"Yup, Tetsurou Kuroo for you. But everyone calls me Black Panther, or the nature's god."

"You lied to me."

"Seriously?"

Suddenly a lot of things made sense. How strong his life signature was. How he was always at the Greenlands when 'his village' was so far away. How he was good with plants and finding them. How he knew about the lake…

"But… Why?" Kenma asked, still confused.

Tetsurou sighed. "I really needed a consort. My life is quite lonely. Of course, I have the other gods, but we've been living together for thousands of years. It gets boring. No, I needed an aid, a human that could be my soulmate. But I couldn't just pick someone from the village and force them to like me," he grinned. "I mean, how can someone not love me? But I think you saw what would happen if I simply picked someone."

Kenma's chest hurt, and he felt like crying again. He suddenly surged forward, pulling Tetsurou into a hug and burying his face in his chest. It was the same Tetsurou. The same smell, the same calloused hands stroking his hair and his face, comforting him. The same feeling. But now that he was in his god form, Kenma could feel a much stronger life signature.

"You were always special to me," Tetsurou said. "You were so lonely, but you asked me for help. Me, of everyone. I felt so happy, you have no idea. And then I started to observe you, and came to the conclusion that if I wanted someone to be my consort, it was you. But taking you out of your life was unfair."

"So you decided to make me fall in love with you," Kenma finished, breaking the hug and rolling his eyes. "Will you ever stop being cheesy?"

Tetsurou grinned. "Cheesy is my middle name. It's Tetsurou Cheesy Kuroo."

"Wow, it rhymes."

"No it doesn't," he smiled faintly. "You know, that night when we… Played at the lake," Kenma felt his cheeks warm up again. "And I told you I loved you. I got so worried when you didn't answer. I thought I messed up, that you didn't want to actually live with me forever… That's a lot of time and all…"

"You had already told the priest that you choose me by that time," Kenma said, and everything made sense again. "Is that why you disappeared?"

"Well, at first yes. But then I saw you screaming at me, for making you marry me when you actually wanted to marry me, and that you didn't love me because you love me, and…"

"Oh my god, I got it already," Kenma interrupted him, but then started laughing. Thinking that way; it was a ridiculous situation indeed. "But you knew I loved you, at least."

"Yeah," Tetsurou grinned. "But guess what? I had to go to the celestial court and make a lot of boring things because I can't just pick a human as a consort. So I was at the celestial helm fixing some issues and all, and in the end I could only see you now. Sorry for making you suffer," his smile faltered.

"It's okay," Kenma said, quickly, and hugged him again. There was enough suffering, and he just wanted to be happy.

His chest felt full. He was going to be with Tetsurou forever, he was going to be his soulmate, but Tetsurou was also the god who supported him through so many years. He didn't have to choose between them anymore. And he was making his village as happy as they could be.

Everything was perfect.

"Hey Kenma, didn't you say you wanted to see my home?" Tetsurou asked, and Kenma nodded. "Well, now you can. It won't be the small village you were expecting, but it's very cool too. The celestial realm."

Kenma widened his eyes. The realization that he was going to be an immortal, that he was going to meet the other gods, that he would live in the _celestial realm,_ didn't fall upon him yet.

As they headed towards the entrance of the sanctuary, holding hands, Kenma looked at his new soulmate. "You know, all your worry about making your consort like you before being chosen… That was very kind of you."

Tetsurou looked at him, and flashed him his signature smirk.

"I'm always this kind," he said, with a hand on his chest, his black tail waving happily behind them.

Kenma rolled his eyes. He would have all eternity to endure that, but he found out that he didn't really care.

For once, everything was perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> he's always this kind. oh, and winter's coming.
> 
> i'm such a nerd ;-; ugh, i hope you liked it? i got a bit too excited and ended up writing 12k words instead of the 3k i intended. oh well. this is what happens when you're not used to oneshots.
> 
> lol and what is angst. i think i made Kenma i bit too emotional, but think of it like this: he's an adult (yes, they're not teenagers, but i think it is obvious in Kuroo's case) and he lives in a totally different world. also, i liked writing a technology-hater Kenma hahaha
> 
> -_- hope it was enjoyable...


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